HC Deb 15 July 2002 vol 389 cc105-6W
Mr. Letwin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Police Standards Unit was established; how much it cost in 2001; how many staff it employs; and what its remit is. [62347]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 17 July 2002]: The first members of the Police Standards Unit started in post on 9 July 2001. The staffing compliment of the Unit is 29. To date £709,000 has been spent on the Unit.

The Unit's terms of reference, as set out in the White Paper Policing a New Century: a blueprint for reform' are as follows:

The Standards Unit exists to deliver the Government's commitment to raise standards and improve operational performance in the police and in crime reduction generally in order to maintain and enhance public satisfaction with policing in their area.

Its core objective will he to identify and disseminate best practice in the prevention, detection and apprehension of crime in all forces in order to reduce crime and disorder as well as the fear of crime.

The Unit will: Work with forces and Basic Command Units (BCUs) to ensure the most effective use of intelligence, detection and successful prosecution procedures; Identify BCUs or forces performing below their best based on Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) reports, statistical information, or particular cases of concern; Engage directly with the BCU or force to establish the nature of the problems, the extent to which best practice may be lacking, and the remedial action required; Engage similarly with other local agencies where it is apparent that they are contributing significantly to the causes of poor performance; Identify where, in exceptional circumstances, combined cross-cutting measures engaging other agencies are required to focus on and achieve early change within a specific geographic area or BCU boundary; Draw validated best practice from HMIC, National Police Training, the Crime Reduction College and other agencies, spread its use through local engagement, and identify for professional evaluation any new examples or techniques it comes across; Have a capacity to provide short-term funding to support the remedial action it has identified and which could not otherwise be undertaken; Identify cases in which the Home Secretary should consider the use of powers under the Police Act (1996), the Local Government Act (1999), or other relevant legislation; Identify issues which raise policy, technical or legal questions for the Home Office to address.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work carried out to date by Dr Kevin Bond in respect of the Police Standards Unit. [61181]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 13 June 2002]: Dr. Kevin Bond took up post on 7 January 2002. Under his leadership, the Police Standards Unit (PSU) is now developing a number of projects related to police performance management and the identification and dissemination of good practice in key areas.